Psalm 89:36 kjv
His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.
Psalm 89:36 nkjv
His seed shall endure forever, And his throne as the sun before Me;
Psalm 89:36 niv
that his line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun;
Psalm 89:36 esv
His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me.
Psalm 89:36 nlt
His dynasty will go on forever;
his kingdom will endure as the sun.
Psalm 89 36 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 7:12-13 | "When your days are fulfilled... I will raise up your offspring... I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever." | Foundation of Davidic Covenant: eternal dynasty. |
| 2 Sam 7:16 | "Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before Me; your throne shall be established forever." | Direct parallel emphasizing permanence of David's line and kingdom. |
| 1 Chr 17:12, 14 | "He shall build Me a house... and I will settle him in My house and My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever." | Covenant reaffirmation, eternal house, kingdom, and throne. |
| Ps 72:5 | "They shall fear You as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations." | Eternal reign compared to sun and moon, echoing stability. |
| Ps 72:17 | "His name shall endure forever; His name shall be continued as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him..." | Messianic reference: eternal name, long as sun. |
| Ps 89:3-4 | "I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant: ‘Your seed I will establish forever, And build up your throne to all generations.’" | Contextual pre-declaration of the same promise. |
| Ps 89:28-29 | "My mercy I will keep for him forever, And My covenant shall stand firm with him. His seed also I will make to endure forever, And his throne as the days of heaven." | Similar wording about eternal seed and throne, "days of heaven" meaning forever. |
| Ps 89:34-35 | "My covenant I will not break... I will not lie to David." | God's absolute commitment to the covenant. |
| Ps 119:89-90 | "Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides." | God's word and faithfulness are as stable as creation. |
| Isa 9:7 | "Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever." | Messianic prophecy of Christ's eternal Davidic reign. |
| Jer 33:17 | "For thus says the LORD: 'David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel.'" | Promise of a continuous Davidic line for kingship. |
| Lk 1:32-33 | "He will be great... and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." | Gabriel's prophecy concerning Jesus' Davidic kingship. |
| Acts 2:29-31 | "David... knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that He would seat one of his descendants on his throne... he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ." | Peter connects the Davidic covenant to Jesus' resurrection and enthronement. |
| Rom 1:3-4 | "Concerning His Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." | Jesus' physical Davidic descent and divine power. |
| Heb 1:8 | "But to the Son He says: 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever...'" | Application of Old Testament throne promises to Christ. |
| Rev 3:7 | "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens..." | Christ's absolute authority as the fulfillment of Davidic king. |
| Eph 1:20-21 | "...raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion..." | Christ's ultimate enthronement and cosmic authority. |
| Phil 2:9-11 | "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow..." | Christ's supreme and lasting universal Lordship. |
| 1 Cor 15:25 | "For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet." | Christ's active reign, culminating in complete victory. |
| Heb 12:28 | "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear." | The permanence of God's kingdom received by believers. |
Psalm 89 verses
Psalm 89 36 Meaning
Psalm 89:36 is a divine reaffirmation of God's unbreakable covenant with David, declaring the perpetual duration of his royal line ("seed") and the eternal establishment of his throne and kingdom. It signifies an unwavering promise of divine faithfulness, comparing the steadfastness of David's dynasty to the enduring and unfailing constancy of the sun. This promise ultimately finds its fulfillment in the everlasting reign of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who descended from David.
Psalm 89 36 Context
Psalm 89 is a prayer of Ethan the Ezrahite, a wisdom teacher. The psalm is structured around a profound lament concerning God's covenant with David, specifically David's royal line. Verses 1-37 eloquently praise God's steadfast love and faithfulness, recalling the glorious covenant established with David (2 Sam 7). God's sworn promises regarding an enduring dynasty and eternal throne are highlighted. Verse 36 directly continues this reaffirmation of the divine covenant pledge, establishing the foundation of God's unchanging word.
However, the tone dramatically shifts in verses 38-51, where the psalmist expresses profound distress over the apparent failure of this covenant, seemingly in light of David's kingdom's struggles, divisions, and ultimately, the Babylonian exile and destruction of the monarchy. The psalmist questions why God would abandon His chosen king and the glorious promises, challenging God's seeming inaction and the suffering of the Davidic line. Thus, verse 36 stands as a strong declaration of God's initial and true intention, before the human failure and temporary divine judgment cause the psalmist's distress. It's a statement of absolute truth against a backdrop of perceived brokenness, ultimately pointing to a fulfillment beyond earthly circumstances.
Psalm 89 36 Word analysis
- His seed (Hebrew: זַרְעוֹ, zarʿô): This refers to David's offspring, his descendants, literally his "seed" or "progeny." In the context of the Davidic covenant, it points directly to the royal line that would succeed David, particularly highlighting Solomon, and critically, the future Messiah who would be "of the seed of David." It's not just physical descendants but encompasses the spiritual continuation of David's kingly rule, leading to Christ.
- shall endure forever (Hebrew: לְעוֹלָם יִהְיֶה, lĕʿôlām yihyeh): This phrase emphasizes perpetual existence and timelessness. Lĕʿôlām means "forever," "for always," "eternally," and yihyeh (from hayah) means "it shall be," "it shall exist." It conveys an unceasing, unchanging reality, signifying that the promised lineage and kingdom would never cease to exist in some form, guaranteed by divine decree.
- and his throne (Hebrew: וְכִסְאוֹ, vĕkhisʾô): The "throne" (כִּסְאוֹ, kisʾo) symbolizes kingship, authority, royal power, and the kingdom itself. It represents the seat of government and the exercise of dominion. Its endurance signifies the perpetual nature of the Davidic kingship.
- as the sun (Hebrew: כַּשֶּׁמֶשׁ, kaššemeš): This is a powerful simile. The sun (שֶּׁמֶשׁ, shemesh) in the ancient Near East, and universally, is a symbol of constancy, light, life-giving power, and reliable, unchanging order. Its daily rising is a testament to natural law and divine ordering. Comparing David's throne to the sun implies its unshakeable stability, its unfailing presence, and its everlasting, brilliant nature, reflecting the source of its establishment as divine.
- before Me (Hebrew: נֶגְדִּי, negdî): This phrase indicates in God's presence, under His direct observation, guarantee, and supervision. It signifies that the durability of David's lineage and throne is not contingent on human strength or earthly circumstances but on God's active involvement, approval, and unwavering will. It is a divinely guaranteed perpetuity.
Words-group analysis:
- "His seed shall endure forever": This group highlights the continuity of the Davidic line. It points to a unique dynasty, one chosen by God for a specific, enduring purpose that transcends typical human kingdoms. It forms the biological and legal basis for the coming Messiah.
- "and his throne as the sun before Me": This grouping elaborates on the nature of the enduring "seed," showing that it culminates in a perpetual kingdom, specifically an eternal royal dominion. The comparison to the "sun" before "Me" (God) signifies ultimate stability, brightness, and a kingdom established and upheld directly by God, thus beyond any earthly challenge or temporal limitation. It prophesies an eternal kingdom rooted in divine fidelity.
Psalm 89 36 Bonus section
The seemingly contradictory lament later in Psalm 89 (vv. 38ff) against the strong affirmation of God's promise in verse 36 emphasizes the tension between divine faithfulness and human suffering or apparent failure. This tension is resolved in the Christian understanding: the earthly Davidic throne was indeed overturned (e.g., during the Babylonian exile), but God's promise of an eternal throne and "seed" was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, whose kingdom is spiritual and heavenly, yet real and everlasting, transcending earthly political structures. Thus, the verse does not imply an uninterrupted line of Davidic kings on an earthly throne but an enduring, sovereign authority embodied finally in Christ. This highlights the concept of a multi-faceted fulfillment of prophecy, where an earthly historical line ultimately culminates in a divine, spiritual, and eternal reality.
Psalm 89 36 Commentary
Psalm 89:36 articulates God's unwavering commitment to His Davidic covenant. It's not merely a promise but a sworn divine oath, portraying the permanency of David's kingly line and authority. The assurance that David's "seed" (his descendants) would endure forever and his "throne" would be as stable as "the sun" carries profound theological weight. The sun, a consistent and vital cosmic entity, symbolizes the unfailing nature of God's promise and the absolute stability of the Messianic kingdom to come. This enduring throne, divinely established "before Me," highlights that its persistence is guaranteed by God Himself, not by human power or faithfulness. Despite the historical temporary failings of the Davidic monarchy (which prompts the psalmist's later lament), this verse declares God's original, ultimate intent, fulfilled perfectly in Jesus Christ, the eternal Davidic King whose kingdom will indeed have no end. It underscores the reliability of God's word, even when circumstances seem to contradict it, pointing towards an eschatological hope centered on Christ's unending reign.